Beep With Style – Illustrated Barcodes

Creative people have a special quality. They don’t always need a big canvas or platform to show their potential. Some people can use the most minute and negligible things and transform them into little creative wonders. Steve Simpson, a Dublin based illustrative designer is no different.

All of us do some shopping on a daily basis. These can either be supplies, tobacco, clothes or shoes. While the range of products to shop for may not be common among all buyers; one thing related to shopping is. That one thing is called a barcode. Every product we buy from any store has to have barcode. The barcodes are identities that have a very small role in the shopping experience, i.e. the familiar beep as they are scanned at the paying counter.

Over the years, we have seen thousands of barcodes on thousands of different products. However beautiful and attractive the packaging of a product may be; the [poor barcodes stand secluded with their typical vertical lines and some numbers. Enter Steve Simpson, who realizing the loneliness of the barcodes, decided to give them a revamp. The results are great to say the least. Keeping the product in mind, Simpson has designed various barcodes that complement the nature of the product. For instance, a sauce of Chinese origins, now, has a dragon embedded in the barcode. Another good example is of a dental floss that supports the image of a cartoon crocodile. Cleverly, Simpson designed the barcode, showing it between the open jaws of the reptile.

The unique and refreshing thing about Simpson’s work is that in addition to stylizing the otherwise ordinary barcodes; he has paid attention to detail by the virtue of which it can be claimed that no element in a packaging is ever denied any attention. Moreover, it adds a pinch of humor and fun to the packaging.